After girl's suicide, Missouri town outlaws online harassment

JOEL CURRIER, St. Louis Post-dispatch |
November 22, 2007

DARDENNE PRAIRIE, Mo. — City officials declared online harassment a crime Wednesday, fewer than two weeks after they learned of a 13-year-old girl who killed herself after receiving hurtful messages on a popular social networking website.

The Board of Aldermen unanimously passed an ordinance making online harassment a misdemeanor in this city of about 5,500.

"It is our hope that by supporting one of our own in Dardenne Prairie, we can do our part to ensure this type of harassing behavior never happens again, anywhere," said Mayor Pam Fogarty. "After all, harassment is harassment regardless of the mechanism or tool."

The ordinance outlaws harassment using electronic communication, which includes the Internet, email, paging services and mobile phone text messaging.

Violators face a maximum $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail, the maximum penalty for the fourth-class city.

The goal of the ordinance, said Assistant City Attorney John Young, is to punish people who use threatening or obscene language or images through electronic communication to inflict emotional distress on another person. Young said he researched similar legislation in other cities and states in drafting the ordinance.

Megan Meier hanged herself with a cloth belt from a support beam in a closet in her Dardenne Prairie home Oct. 16, 2006, shortly after receiving cruel messages on MySpace, a popular social networking website. Megan had been exchanging messages with a 16-year-old named Josh Evans for about six weeks before her death.

Megan's parents, Ron and Tina Meier, discovered six weeks after Megan's death that Josh Evans never existed. The Meiers have accused neighbor Lori Drew, her 13-year-old daughter and Drew's employee, Ashley Grills, 18, of creating the fictitious Myspace profile to send messages to Megan using a photograph and the name Josh Evans.

No one has been charged with a crime in the incident. The Drews and Grills have declined to comment.

St. Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas said Wednesday he is still reviewing the case and will not make any decision until next week.

Last fall, Megan and Drew's daughter were friends but had been quarreling. According to a police report, Lori Drew said she had "instigated and monitored" the fake MySpace account because wanted to know what Megan was saying online about her daughter.

The FBI and St. Charles County Sheriff's Department investigated the Meiers' allegations over the past year and could find no appropriate criminal charge. Prosecutors didn't see a crime either, and high-profile law firms did not pursue a civil suit.

The Meiers have sworn to fight for new laws that punish people for online misconduct. Tina Meier said Wednesday she was thrilled about the board's decision but there's more to be done to protect children online.

"This is not just a stopping point," Tina Meier said after the ordinance was passed. "We're not done. We're moving forward."

The board Wednesday also approved a resolution urging state and federal legislators to pass new laws regulating Internet harassment and stalking. After the measures were passed, Fogarty yelled, "Yes!" and the audience began applauding.

A candlelight vigil to honor Megan Meier is planned for Saturday in the Waterford Crossing subdivision in Dardenne Prairie.